Students are introduced to scene work performance through a simple, contentless scene unit. In this unit, performers will use exercises like “Show and Tell” to learn how to fill in the gaps of a story by creating scenarios and detailed characters with backgrounds.
Students will further fill in the gaps by exploring environmental and physical conflict as well as stage business. The lesson “Thou Shalts of Staging” will guide students through basic staging and performance technique.
The overview lay outs pre-unit discussion questions and outlines the lessons and materials in this seven lesson unit as well as post-unit reflection questions.
Have students create a situation from a picture and examine the given clues to help fill in the gaps. Next, have students examine the clues in a contentless scene, then fill in the gaps to create their own scenario to perform.
Students will use “Show and Tell” to create a detailed background for their contentless scene character and improvise a personal interview with that character.
Students will participate in a demonstration to explore the rules of staging and performance and why they are important. They will perform a Bad Idea/Good Idea skit for the class, to demonstrate their understanding of the concept.
Students will play a drama game and participate in an exercise to explore how conflict affects their active tactics. Students apply conflict to a scene for performance.
Students will participate in an observation activity and play “What Are You Doing?” to explore how stage business affects performance. In this lesson, you will coach students through a scene with stage business, then they will apply stage business to their own performances.
Students review what they have studied in this unit as well as how to give and use constructive feedback. Students will pair up with another scene group, then perform for each other. Students will use the Preview Worksheet to help guide and assess their previews and critiques.
Students will perform and be evaluated on the contentless scene that they have prepared during the unit.
TH:Pr4.1.7.b - Use various character objectives in a drama/theatre work.
TH:Pr6.1.HSI.a - Perform a scripted drama/theatre work for a specific audience.
7.TH:Pr4.b - Use various character objectives in a drama/theatre work.
67TH:Pr6 - Create through improvisation a drama/theatre work that will be shared with an audience.
Prof.TH:Pr6 - Perform a rehearsed, scripted short drama/theatre work for a specific audience.
I.C.2.2 - Interpret scenes through formal and informal presentations.
P.C.2.2 - Interpret monologues through formal and informal presentations.
A.C.2.2 - Interpret scripts through formal and informal presentations.
C.1.E - identify theatrical vocabulary and terminology, including basic anatomy of theatre spaces.
C.1.F - identify the structure and form in examples of dramatic literature.
B.1.E - demonstrate knowledge of theatrical vocabulary and terminology.
B.1.F - analyze and evaluate the structure and form of dramatic literature.
B.2.B - define characters by what they do, what they say, and what others say about them.
C.1.A - apply theatre preparation and warm-up techniques effectively.
1 - use warmup techniques for preparation of body, voice and mind
generate imaginative and creative solutions to problems
meet deadlines and follow through on individual and group commitments
offer and accept constructive criticism, given specific guidelines, with a desire to improve
recognize the purposes of and participate in warmup activities